Capturing carbon in the soil to improve soil health and productivity

Carbon is significant to soil capacity and productivity and is one of the decisive factors of soil health. Climate change alters the land carbon cycle and changes the atmospheric temperature. An increase in temperature will extend the growing seasons and humidity. Both factors have led to some additional plant growth.

However, warmer temperatures also stress plants. With a longer, warmer growing season, plants need more water to survive. Dry, water-stressed plants are also more susceptible to fire and insects when growing seasons become longer.

Soil management plays a critical role in whether the carbon remains in the soil or is released to the atmosphere. Farm practices that affect carbon, therefore, impact agricultural productivity and resilience (the soil’s ability to deal with weather extremes) and the carbon cycle itself. They also can impact both the amount and the composition of soil organic carbon and hence also the soil’s physical, biological, and chemical condition, the combination of which defines soil health.

Soil carbon management is an important strategy for improving:

1. Soil quality

2. Increasing crop yields

3. And reducing soil loss

Capturing carbon in the soil helps improve soil health and productivity, and stabilize the global carbon cycle, benefiting agricultural production. Remote sensing of soil using multiple satellite sensors that operate in microwave frequency can help in detecting the organic carbon present in the soil. The analysis will help in practicing optimal soil management techniques.